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• Easy to set up (uses WPS)
• Sends in-app notifications for motion triggers.
• Works seamlessly with the DSP-W215
• Device logs every event

Cons

• No Web UI or desktop apps - must use smart phone apps
• No Email or text notification options

Introduction

Several weeks ago, we reviewed D-Link's first product in its Connected Home product line - the DSP-W215 Smart Plug. The second entry in the Connected Home line is the DCH-S510 Wi-Fi Motion Sensor that I'm reviewing today. Priced at $39.99, the DCH-S510 is the perfect companion for the Smart Plug. Motion events can turn the Smart Plug on and off and send in-app notifications.

Though Smart Plug had its own iOS and Android apps, the Motion Sensor is set up and controlled by D-Link's new mydlink Home app. Here are the QR codes for the mydlink Home app taken from the mydlink.com website.

QR Codes for mydlink Home App

The Smart Plug can also be controlled by the new mydlink Home app, but with somewhat reduced functionality compared to its dedicated Smart Plug app. Both devices are available through your "mydlink.com" account that you can set up for free. And, while both hardware devices show up in the desktop version of mydlink after you register them, you must use the mobile apps to connect to or control either of the devices.

The D-Link Motion Sensor is a small device measuring 2.28 x 2.13 x 1.71 inches. The image below shows the positioning of the non-polarized two prong plug. It is offset from the center of the device meaning that if you plug it in using the right orientation, you'll only lose the use of one socket in a standard U.S. duplex wall outlet.

D-Link DCH-S150 side view

The image below shows an overview of the hardware and LED status codes. On the side of the unit, there's a power/status LED the WPS button and a reset pinhole. Motion is detected using a Passive Infrared sensor.

D-Link DCH-S150 callouts

Setup

Setup of the Motion sensor is almost identical to the setup of the Smart Plug. You need:

A Wi-Fi network that's connected to the Internet

An Android or iOS device

A "MyDlink" account. If you don't already have one, you can set up an account for free at www.mydlink.com.

The mydlink Home app downloaded from Google Play or the Apple App store

For setup, you need to enable Wi-Fi on your smartphone and connect it to the same network that the Motion Sensor will be using. The entire setup process is performed through a wizard that launches when you add a device on the mydlink Home app on your mobile device. You merely plug the Smart Plug device into a power outlet and run the Smart Plug app on your smart phone.

WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) simplifies connecting to your wireless network. After pushing the WPS button on your router and on your Motion Sensor, you should be connected to your wireless network in about 30 seconds. If your router doesn't support WPS, and virtually all modern routers do, you also have the option of performing a manual network setup using information provided on a printed card that's included with the product.

During the setup process, you provide login credentials to your MyDlink account. After completing setup, you'll land at a screen similar to the ones shown below. The image on the left is from my iPad and the one on the right is from my Android phone.

Mydlink Home app landing page - iOS (L) and Android (R)

Both devices show not only the DCH-S150 motion sensor, but also the DSP-W215 that had been installed for the previous review. The Android screen, however, shows all of the devices currently registered to my "mydlink" account, including a DCS-932L camera and DIR-880L AC1900 router. While both of the devices are active and online, the current version of mydlink Home doesn't support either the router or the camera - at least not yet.

The screenshot below shows the DCH-S150 landing page as displayed on my iPad. The Android version looks almost identical. You arrive here by tapping on the its icon from the mydlink.com landing page shown in the above image.

D-Link DCH-S150 Landing Page (iOS)

There aren't really many options to set on the device, but I've included a short gallery below. Essentially you can enable/disable motion detection, view the log of previous motion events by tapping on Last Detection, adjust the IR sensor sensitivity and create schedules. By default, motion detection is always enabled. Without a companion device to trigger, the only use for the Motion Sensor would be for notification.

The Add new device lets you launch the setup wizard to setup and add additional Connected Home devices to your mydlink account.